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Glacier temporal-spatial change characteristics in Western Nyainqentanglha range, Tibetan plateau 1977-2010
Abstract
Three atmospheric/topographic corrected Landsat images (acquired form 17/03/1977, 05/02/2001, 06/02/2010) have been used to map the glacier extents using threshold ratio images (BAND4/BAND5) and ISODATA unsupervised classification, respectively. A few of manual editing was made to correct the outline at ice-lake contacts and at debris covered glaciers. Spatial-temporal distribution and changes of glaciers are analyzed based on GIS and RS. Results show that (1) The glacier in WNR covered 571.81±16.01 km 2 in 2010, located mainly at the elevation zone of 5500-6200 m; (2) The glacier retreat is obvious in recent three decades, especially in the last decade. The glacier area had decreased by 22.42%±2.90% between 1977 and 2010. (3) Compared to the period 1977-2001, the glacier retreat rate in the last decade is higher. (4) The annual mean reduction of glacier area slows down in the elevation zone of lower 5700 m, while it speeds up between 5800-7000 m. (5) In Lhasa River basin the elevation zone that the glacier reduction fastest is 100 m higher than that in the Namco basin. The Lhasa river basin glacier reduction was affected by the climate change and anthropogenic activities, while the glacier retreat in Namco basin was mainly caused by climate change. (6) The rate of glacier retreat is higher in Namco basin on the northern slope (23.6%±2.88%) of research area than those on the southern slope (21.97%±2.90%). And the elevation zone where the highest rate of glacier retreat during 2001-2010 is 200 m higher than those between 1977 and 2001. It indicates that the glaciers tend to shrink in higher elevation.
... There have been several intensive studies of glacier change in the western Nyainqentanglha Range during the last decade using remote sensing. Although glacier retreat was established, the results did differ from each other (Kang et al. 2007a;Yao et al. 2007;Shangguan et al. 2008;Wu and Zhu 2008;Chen et al. 2009;Frauenfelder and Kääb 2009;Bolch et al. 2010a;Wang et al. 2012). Using multi-temporal optical remote-sensing data from Landsat, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Frauenfelder and Kääb (2009) showed a reduction in glacier area of 19.8% for 1970/80-2000 at the southwest end of the Range. ...
... The CTMs were the base for the 1970 glacier outlines of the western Nyaintanglha Range, producing a glacier area of 750.2 ± 15.0 km 2 in the SW section. Similar results were obtained from the 1976 Hexagon KH-9 and Landsat MSS data (Bolch et al. 2010b;Wang et al. 2012). Comparing our results to previous studies, a small discrepancy of 2% was observed for the SW section of the Range, this is equivalent to the uncertainty in glacier area from the topographic maps. ...
... Glacier outlines for 2000 were delineated from Landsat TM/ETM+ images, providing similar results to those obtained by Bolch et al. (2010b) and Wang et al. (2012) for the SW section. Using 356 Landsat ETM+ scenes in 226 path-row sets from 1999-2003, Nuimura et al. (2015) compiled an inventory of high-mountain Asian glaciers Comparing this GGI inventory with ours (CGI2000), a larger discrepancy was found between the two datasets (-22%). ...
Glaciers in the western Nyainqentanglha Range are an important source of water for social and economic development. Changes in their area were derived from two Chinese glacier inventories; one from the 1970 1:50,000 scale Chinese Topographic Maps series and the other from Landsat TM/ETM+ images acquired in 2009. Analyses also included boundaries from 2000 and 2014 Landsat TM/ETM+ images. A continuing and accelerating shrinkage of glaciers occurred here from 1970 to 2014, with glacier area decreasing by 244.38 ± 29.48 km2 (27.4% ± 3.3%) or 0.62% ± 0.08% a–1. While this is consistent with a changing climate, local topographic parameters, such as altitude, slope, aspect and debris cover, are also important influences. Recession is manifested by a rise in the elevation of the glacier terminus. The shrinkage of glaciers with NE, N and NW orientations exceeded that of other aspects, and glaciers with SE and S orientations experienced less shrinkage. Changes in the average positive difference of glaciation (PDG) show that the western Nyainqentanglha Range has unfavorable conditions for glacier maintenance which is being exacerbated by a warming climate since 1970.
... All Glacial lakes are distributed at an altitude of 5 200-5 900 m a.s.l. (Table 3), while the ice loss occurred in an elevation zone of 5 200-6 000 m a.s.l. in Nam Co Basin (Wang et al., 2012). Overall, in 1991Overall, in , 2001 and 2011 glacial lakes are concentrated in the 5 400-5 700 m a.s.l. ...
... It is consistent with results of glacial recession in our previous studies. The highest ice loss occurred at altitudes of 5 400-5 700 m a.s.l. in Nam Co Basin (Wang et al., 2012). There is a close relationship of glacier and glacier lakes in relation to altitude (Wang et al., 2013). ...
... Previous studies on glacier changes for the Nam Co Basin showed a glacier area decrease by 15.4% from 1970 to 2000 (Wu and Zhu, 2008;Yao et al., 2007;Zhang et al., 2004). And glacier area decreased by 8.7% from 2001 to 2010 (Wang et al., 2012). Due to the water's thermokarst effect to the glacier (Paul, 2007;Kääb and Haeberli, 2001), the pro-glacier lakes contacting the glacier showed the largest expansion rate (Yao, 2010). ...
Lakes in Tibet Plateau with little effects of human activities serve as important indicators of climate change. This study analysed remote sensing data and long term climate variables to examine the hydrological response of lakes in Nam Co Basin. The area changes of lakes were extracted by Landsat TM/ETM+ and analysed by SRTM 3 DEM. And the ICESat elevation data between 2003 and 2009 were used to observe the lake level of the Nam Co Lake. The results show that the number of new formed glacier lakes increased by 36% and the area of glacier lakes increased by 36.7% (0.97 km2) from 1991 to 2011. At the same time, the surface area of the Nam Co Lake expanded by 3.71% (72.64 km2) of the original size in 1991, with a tendency value of 3.63 km2 per year. The lake level of the Nam Co Lake shows an increase tendency of 0.24 m per year during 2003–2009. These variations appear to be related to an increase in mean annual temperature of 0.06 ºC per year, and an increase in annual precipitation of 2.1 mm per year in summer in the last two decades. The increased number of lakes and increased area of glacial lakes reached a peak at an altitude of 5 500–5 600 m a.s.l. The number of new formed glacier lakes and the area of glacier lakes tend to higher altitudes. Climate change has an important impact on the variation of the glacier lakes and the Nam Co Lake. © 2016, China University of Geosciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
... The glacier area in the Tanggula mountains decreased from 2062.19 km 2 in 1990 to 1725.47 km 2 in 2015 Wang, 2017a). In the western Nyainqntanglha mountains, the glacier area was 931.50 km 2 in 1979, 878.40 km 2 in 1991, 852.00 km 2 in 2000, and 737.60 km 2 in 2011 (Bolch et al., 2010;Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bWang et al., 2012;Ji et al., 2014Ji et al., , 2015. In the Qilian mountains, the glacier area was 2017.81 km 2 in 1956, 1761.3 km 2 in 1990, and 1597.1 km 2 in 2010 (Liu et al., 2003;Wang et al., 2007;Cao et al., 2010;Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bWang et al., 2011c;Zhang et al., 2012;Pan et al., 2012;Sun et al., 2015). ...
... The north of Altai mountains 1980-2010Bai et al., 2012Wang et al., 2011a;Yao et al., 2012a;Lv et al., 2012;The south Altai mountains 1972Bai et al., 2012Wang et al., 2011b;Yao et al., 2012b;The north of Tianshan mountains 1989Li et al., 2004, 2006Shangguan et al., 2009;Xu et al., 2011;Wang et al., 2011a;He et al., 2014 The south of Tianshan mountains 1990-2011 Li et al., 2004Shangguan et al., 2009;Xu et al., 2011;Wang et al., 2011b;Zhao et al., 2014;Xing et al., 2017;Tanggula mountains 1973-2010Zhang et al., 2010aZhu, 2012;Wang, 2017a;Wang et al., 2017a;The western Kunlun mountains 1990Li et al., 1998Xu et al., 2006;Shangguan et al., 2007Shangguan et al., , 2009Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bLi, 2014; The eastern Kunlun mountains 1990-2010Li et al., 1998Xu et al., 2006;Shangguan et al., 2007;Shangguan et al., 2009;Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bJiang, 2012;Nyainqntanglha mountains 1979Bolch et al., 2010Zhang et al., 2010a;Zhang et al., 2010b;Wang et al., 2012;Ji et al., 2014Ji et al., , 2015Qilian mountains 1990-2010Liu et al., 2003Wang et al., 2009;Cao et al., 2010;Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bWang et al., 2011c;Zhang et al., 2012;Pan et al., 2012;Gongga mountains 1974-2010Liu et al., 2010Pan et al., 2011;Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bLi, 2015;Yulong mountains 1974Wang et al., 2011aDu, 2011Middle Himalaya Range 1980-2010Jiang, 2015Eastern Himalaya Range 1980-2007Li et al., 2011aPamirs 1972Shangguan et al., 2004Shangguan et al., 2007;Shangguan et al., 2009;Zhang et al., 2010aZhang et al., , 2010bZeng et al., 2013;The northern Himalayas 1990Ji, 2018Qiangtang plateau 1970Wang et al., 2011aKalakunlun Mountains 1978Xu, 2017 A.3. Permafrost data ...
The cold regions of western China are referred to as the “Asian Water Tower” and mainly include the Tibetan plateau and surrounding mountains. Its prominent hydrological feature is multiphase water transformation, which accelerates the water cycle and affects spatial and temporal patterns of water resources. Under the effect of lengthening ablation periods and increased annual precipitation, multiphase water transformation is accelerating. There are three main manifestations characterizing the transformation from solid to liquid water in the period since 1990: (i) the melting of glaciers has accelerated; (ii) the depth of permafrost active layers is increasing and their maximum freezing depth is decreasing; and (iii) a marked decrease in snowfall and increase in rainfall has been observed. The transformation from liquid to gaseous water was mainly concentrated on accelerating evapotranspiration. The transformation from gaseous to liquid water was observed as enhanced moisture recycling. The final hydrological effect of these transformations was observed in the change of the runoff components, increase in runoff, and lake expansion. A theory of multiphase water transformation is proposed, which is expected to contribute to the understanding of cold region hydrology in the future.
... lies in the central part of the TP and elongates in a northeast-southwest orientation. Nyainqentanglha peak is the highest mountain peak at 7117 m, and the average altitude of the range is 5500 m (Wang et al. 2012;Yu et al. 2013) (Figure 1). The climate is influenced by the Indian monsoon in summer and the westerlies in winter (Yu et al. 2013). ...
Global warming greatly affects glacier retreat, which in turn influences local water resources and sea level altitudes. We used Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) images to extract glacier outlines in the western Nyainqentanglha Range, then used TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X images and SRTM-C DEM to calculate changes in glacier elevation using a differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) approach. The decreasing rate of glacier elevation in the western Nyainqentanglha Range was −0.30 ± 0.07 m per year (m yr⁻¹) from 2000 to 2014. The annual thinning rate of the northern slope (−0.46 ± 0.07 m yr⁻¹) was faster than that of the southern slope (−0.24 ± 0.07 m yr⁻¹). We investigated two exemplary glacier sites in details: Zhadang glacier on the northern slope and Gurenhekou glacier on the southern slope. The annual elevation change of 39 points on Zhadang glacier calculated by the DInSAR and Real Time Kinematic Global Position System (RTK-GPS) seperately have a correlation coefficient of 0.88. The mass balance change of Gurenhekou glacier is −0.21 ± 0.06 m water equivalent per year (m w.e. yr⁻¹) from DInSAR, which is similar to the value of −0.31 m w.e. yr⁻¹ determined via stakes and snow pits from 2005 to 2010.
... This has been found in the middle of Tienshan and in western Nyainqentanglha. 40,41 In the Naimona'Nyi region, the lower portions of the glaciers show the fastest retreats, and glaciers below 5500 m have almost entirely disappeared. The maximum melt zone in the Naimona'Nyi region lies in the 5500 to 6000 m elevation range, which is similar to that in the Mt.Qomolangma National Nature Reserve. ...
The Northern Hemisphere experienced its warmest temperatures in the early 21st century, and this clearly increased glacier melting on the Tibetan Plateau. This study analyzed the glacier change in the area, their terminus positions and surface elevations over the last decade (2003 to 2013) in the Naimona'Nyi region of the western Himalayas, by comparing remote sensing data and differential global position system (dGPS) data from in situ surveys. The results show an accelerating glacier retreat over the past decade in this region. The area covered by glaciers was reduced by a total of 13.2 +/- 0.0022 km(2) over this period. The terminus of the Naimona'Nyi main glacier studied in the paper retreated by over 191 +/- 35 m. We also compared the ice cloud and elevation satellite elevation data with in situ measured decimeter accuracy dGPS elevation data, thus providing changes in glacier surface elevations in different periods. The maximum measured glacier thinning rate reached to 0.58 +/- 0.06 m/a between 2009 and 2013. In addition to the dependence on elevation and glacier size, we found a larger retreat on the north facing slopes than on the south facing slopes in the region. Meteorological data show that glacier changes within the study area can probably be attributed to the observed rapid temperature rise. c The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.
... 11 However, the annual average temperature for 2000 to 2010 was 1.67°C, indicating that the increase in temperature has significantly accelerated. 30 The results of Wang et al. 31 also indicate that an upward trend in temperature in the Nam Co Basin is obvious. The comparison [ Fig. 8(a)] between the duration time of lake ice and average temperature in corresponding years during 1979 to 2010 for Nam Co Lake indicates a negative correlation between them. ...
We used 35 years of brightness temperature data (1978 to 2013) from the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) and special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I) to analyze the freezing, ablation, and duration time of ice on Nam Co Lake and validated the results using data from the advanced microwave scanning radiometer for Earth observation system and moderate resolution image spectroradiometer. The results indicate that the SMMR and SSM/I data can be applied to monitor lake ice phenology variability for a long time and the results are reliable. Since 1978, the duration of Nam Co lake ice has decreased by 19 to 20 days, with the freezing onset date delayed by 9 days and the ablation date advanced by 9 to 10 days. Between 1978 and 2010, there was a negative correlation between temperature and the duration of lake ice in Nam Co; after 2000, the temperature increased significantly in the Nam Co Basin. This caused a clear downward trend of lake ice duration. Therefore, the freezing onset date, ablation end date, and duration of lake ice are effective indicators of regional climate change.
... According to the two sets of data provided by the Project Group of "A Survey on Glacier Resources in China and their Changes (China glacier inventory project)" for the groundwork special project of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and as the data of the intervening years is unavailable, this paper referred to the study data of Wang et al. (2012), Wang (2006), and Guo et al. (2007), as well as other researchers, and then calculated the data on the area change of the glaciers within the three lakes' basins. The calculation is shown in Formula (7): ...
Namco Lake, Yamzho Yumco Lake, and Mapam Yamco Lake are the “three holy lakes” of Tibet. Based on the topographic map of 1970 and the Landsat TM/ETM + remote sensing images of 1970 and from 1990 to 2012, satellite altimetry data, observed data from meteorological stations, and the changes of the “three holy lakes” in area, water level and water storage, the lake status and causes of the changes have been analyzed in a comparative manner. From 1970 to 2012, Namco Lake rapidly expanded in area, Yamzho Yumco Lake sharply declined, and Mapam Yamco Lake showed a slight decline with no great changes. The increase in precipitation was the main reason for the expansion of Namco Lake from 1970 to 1998, but the increase in glacial meltwater caused by temperature rise, and the decrease in evaporation from the lake surface, are the main reasons for the expansion and water storage increase of Namco Lake after 1998. Yamzho Yumco Lake significantly expanded from 1991 to 2004 mainly because the evaporation was limited, and shrank after 2004 because of the decrease in precipitation and the increase in evaporation. Mapam Yamco Lake was shrinking due to higher evaporation and lower precipitation. In addition to glacier meltwater, there are other forms of supply, such as groundwater, wetlands, and permafrost ablation.
Glacier retreat is altering the water regime of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) as the region's climate changes, but there remain substantial gaps in our knowledge of recent glacier loss in this region due to the difficulty of making direct high-mountain observations, and this limits our ability to predict the future of this important water resource. Here, we assessed 44 years of glacier area and volume changes in the major west Nyainqentanglha Range (WNR) that supplies meltwater to the densely populated Lhasa River basin and Nam Co, the second largest endorheic lake on the TP. Between the two periods 1976–2000 and 2000–2020, we found that the glacier areal retreat rate more than doubled (from -0.54±0.21 % a−1 to -1.17±0.30 % a−1), and surface lowering also accelerated (from -0.26±0.09 to -0.37±0.15 m w.e a−1) with particularly intense melting after 2014. This acceleration is similar in both timing and magnitude to that observed for Himalayan glaciers farther south. Besides, the areal retreat rate and mass loss rate of most glaciers in the WNR were not synchronized. To understand the sensitivity of WNR glaciers to climate forcing, we examined the effects of topography, debris cover and the presence of proglacial lakes on our observed changes. We found consistently faster areal retreat but slower thinning rates on steeper slopes and an inconsistent relationship with aspect. We concluded that our observed spatial and temporal patterns of glacier change were dominated by observed local variations in temperature and precipitation, the melt-reducing role of supraglacial debris, and the increasing influence of ice-marginal lakes on glacier ablation.
The cryosphere is defined by the presence of frozen water in its many forms: glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, snow, permafrost, and river and lake ice. In the extended Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, including the Pamirs, Tien Shan and Alatua, the cryosphere is a key freshwater resource, playing a vital and significant role in local and regional hydrology and ecology. Industry, agriculture, and hydroelectric power generation rely on timely and sufficient delivery of water in major river systems; changes in the cryospheric system may thus pose challenges for disaster risk reduction in the extended HKH region.
Glacier variations in the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain ranges in China affect the livelihood of over one billion people who depend on water from the Yellow, Yangtze, Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus rivers originating in these areas. Based on the results of the present study and published literature, we found that the glaciers shrank 15.7% in area from 1963 to 2010 with an annual area change of -0.33%. The shrinkage generally decreased from peripheral mountain ranges to the interior of Tibet. The linear trends of annual air temperature and precipitation at 147 stations were 0.36°C (10a)-1 and 8.96 mm (10a)-1 respectively from 1961 to 2010. The shrinkage of glaciers was well correlated with the rising temperature and the spatial patterns of the shrinkage were influenced by other factors superimposed on the rising temperature such as glacier size, type, elevation, debris cover and precipitation.
SRTM (shuttle radar topography mission) and ASTER GDEM (advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer global digital elevation model), the most accurate and available global DEM (digital elevation model) data, cover nearly the entire land surface of the earth. However, the precision of these DEM data has not been fully validated. This paper focuses on Chinese typical regions, aiming to verify the elevation precision of SRTM and ASTER GDEM based on ICESat/GLAS (ice, cloud, and land elevation satellite/geoscience laser altimeter system) elevation data by utilization of GIS (geographic information system) spatial analysis, 3D visualization and statistical analysis methods. The results show that SRTM elevation precision reaches 2.39 m, and ASTER GDEM precision reaches 4.83 m in the low altitude areas where the elevation value is less than 20 m. The elevation precision is higher than the specified precision in both cases. However, the precision in Southwest study area is similar to the specified precision. The established linear regression model in the present study has high goodness of fit and significant correlation, but the applicability of the model needs further study.
The Tibetan Plateau interior area (TPIA), often termed the Qangtang Plateau, is distinguished by many dome-like mountains higher than 6000 m a. s. l. These mountains provide favourable conditions for the development of ice caps and glaciers of extreme continental/subpolar type. According
to historical topographic maps (1959–80) and recent Landsat images (2004–11), continuous retreat was observed and the glacierized part of this area decreased by 9.5% (0.27% a–1) with respect to the total glacier area of 8036.4 km2 in the 1970s. Glaciers
in the Zhari Namco basin have experienced the highest area shrinkage, with a reduction rate of 0.72% a–1, while the smallest reduction occurred in Bangong Co (0.12% a–1) and Dogai Coying basins (0.11% a–1). A regional gradient of area loss
was found, with a larger decrease in the south and a smaller decrease in the north of the plateau. Comparisons indicate glaciers have experienced smaller shrinkage in the TPIA than in surrounding regions. Glacier shrinkage in the TPIA is mainly attributed to an increase in air temperature,
while precipitation, glacier size and positive difference of glaciation also played an important role.
Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data have been analyzed to study the reflectivity characteristics of three glaciers: the Grossglockner mountain group of glaciers in Austria and the McCall and Meares Glaciers in Alaska, USA. The ratio of TM band 4 (0.76–0.90 μm) to TM band 5 (1.55–1.75 μm) was found to be useful for enhancing reflectivity differences on the glaciers. Using this ratio, distinct zones of similar reflectivity were noted on the Grossglockner mountain group of glaciers and on the Meares Glacier; no distinct zones were observed on the McCall Glacier. On the TM subscene containing the Grossglockner mountain group of glaciers, 28.2% of the glacierized area was determined to be in the zone corresponding most closely to the ablation area, and 71.8% with the location of the accumulation area. Using these measurements, the glacier system has an accumulation area ratio (AAR) of approximately 0.72. Within the accumulation area, two zones of different reflectivity were delineated. Radiometric surface temperatures were measured using TM band 6 (10.4–12.5 μm) on the Grossglockner mountain group of glaciers and on the Meares Glacier. The average radiometric surface temperature of the Grossglockner mountain group of glaciers decreased from 0.9 ± 0.34 °C in the ablation area, to −0.9 ± 0.83 C in the accumulation area.
Glaciers are one of the most important land covers in alpine regions and especially sensitive to global climate change. Remote
sensing has proved to be the best method of investigating the extent of glacial variations in remote mountainous areas. Using
Landsat thematic mapping (TM) and multi-spectral-scanner (MSS) images from Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) National Nature Preserve
(QNNP), central high Himalayas for 1976, 1988 and 2006, we derived glacial extent for these three periods. A combination of
object-oriented image interpretation methods, expert knowledge rules and field surveys were employed. Results showed that
(1) the glacial area in 2006 was 2710.17 ± 0.011 km2 (about 7.41% of the whole study area), and located mainly to the south and between 4700 m to 6800 m above sea level; (2)
from 1976 to 2006, glaciers reduced by 501.91 ± 0.035 km2 and glacial lakes expanded by 36.88 ± 0.035 km2; the rate of glacier retreat was higher in sub-basins on the southern slopes (16.79%) of the Himalayas than on the northern
slopes (14.40%); most glaciers retreated, and mainly occurred at an elevation of 4700–6400 m, and the estimated upper limit
of the retreat zone is between 6600 m and 6700 m; (3) increase in temperature and decrease in precipitation over the study
period are the key factors driving retreat.
Keywordsglacial change-glacial retreat-Himalayas-Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) National Nature Preserve-remote sensing
The climate change in Tibet has induced complex water resource and geo-environmental changes. Tibet is located in a unique
geographical zone with the characteristics of middle-low latitude, high altitude and very low average air temperature, and
the climate there has been changed both in time and in space under the effect of global warming. Except for two regions without
data, the changes of both air temperature and rainfall in the last 35 years in Tibet exhibit evident zonational patterns.
In general, air temperature increases higher from east to west, whereas rainfall changes from decrease to increase from south
to north. Except for some areas in southern Tibet, the general increase of rainfall accelerated the rate of water cycle, and
caused an increase in the gross amount of water resources in Tibet. Moreover, under the impact of climate change, the frequency
of occurrence of landslide and debris flow has slightly increased in the high mountain–canyon regions of eastern Tibet. Also,
the debris flow due to ice lake outburst has evidently increased in the plateau mountain–lake basin regions of southern Tibet.
By contrast, desertification in the western plateau–lake basin regions of northern Tibet has been intensified.
Major outcomes of Working Group I, IPCC AR4 (2007), as well as the recent understandings from our regional climatic assessments in China were summarized. Changes of cryosphere in China, one of the major components in regional climate system, is specifically reviewed. Under the global/regional warming, all components of cryosphere in China (Tibetan Plateau and surroundings) including glaciers, frozen ground (including permafrost) and snow cover show rapid decay in the last decades. These changes have big socioeconomic impacts in west China, thus encourages both government and scientists pay more and more attention to this field.